Combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly



Sept. 20, 1966 E. w. NORTH ETAL 3,273,363

COMBINATION CHANGING DIAL, KNOB AND ESCUTCHEON ASSEMBLY Filed May 27, 1964 f;- 1 1m m1. I I Hm: ig- Z3 Z1 1 g) H zzs J 14/ 16 /j V- 0 14 0 I 26 J5 J19 2 4. I Q .8 25 1a 1 @Ei Z "mum! m IWQD: J 7

United States Patent 3,273,363 COMBINATION CHANGING DIAL, KNOB AND ESCUTCHEON ASSEMBLY Edwin W. North and Robert I... Dauenbaugh, Rockford,

111., assiguors to National Lock Co., Rockford, IlL, a

corporation of Delaware Filed May 27, 1964, Ser. No. 370,591 4 Claims. (Cl. 70-330) The present invention relates to an improvement in a permutation lock assembly and more particularly to a novel combination dial, knob and escutcheon adapted to be mounted as a unit on the exterior of a locker door along its free edge or margin with the housing containing the lock assembly mounted on the interior of the locker door in registration with and actuated by manipulating the knob of the external assembly, including novel means for readily changing the dial setting to a new combination when required or desired.

In locks of this combination or permutation type for locker doors of schools, institutions, factories or the like, in which the locker door is unlocked by manipulating the knob and dial through a predetermined combination setting, it is usually intended that a single individual have access to but a single locker. As these lockers are generally assigned to individual students or employees and the assignment is frequently changed, it is important that provision be made for readily and easily changing the combination whereby the person to whom the locker is reassigned alone has access thereto. To accomplish this, the present invention provides an authorized person with novel means for quickly upsetting the previous combination and effecting a new combination for opening the lock.

The present invention provides for a simple means for and manner of changing or upsetting the combination of the permutation look through altering the dial setting by releasing the dial from the knob with which it is connected and thereby effecting a new combination which assures privacy to the person to whom the locker is newly assigned.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision in a permutation lock of the type employed with the door of a locker, the novel combination of a changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly provided with novel means for connecting the knob and dial for rotating together to effect a predetermined combination for unlocking the door, and means for changing the dial setting to thereby change and eflfect a new combination for operat ing the lock and releasing the latch bolt.

Another object of the present invention is the provision in the present assembly of a novel key-actuated means for releasing a spring-biased dial tumbler or pin normally coupling the dial to and rotating the latter with the knob, but permitting the dial to be readily adjusted to a new position on the knob and thereby changing the combination setting of the look. In the present novel embodiment there are plural coupling settings on the dial relative to the knob to permit an authorized person to make plural combination changes with a change being effected each time the locker is reassigned or for other reasons as where an unauthorized person obtains the predetermined combination.

The present invention further comprehends a novel unit assembly of a changing dial, knob and escutcheon, in which the dial and knob are detachably connected and provided with novel means for disconnecting the dial from the knob and permitting the dial to be adjusted relative to the knob to a new combination setting for unlocking the locking means or latch bolt of the permutation lock.

A further object of the present invention is the provision in a permutation or locker lock of a novel means Patented Sept. 20, 1966 and manner of changing the lock setting from an initial, predetermined setting to plural or additional predetermined settings. In the present embodiment, the dial and knob are separate but coupled or clutched together by a pin or dial tumbler carried in a notch or recess in the knob and spring-biased into one of a. series of complementary notches in the dial for coupling the dial to the knob. To change the combination, a key of a unique design is provided for insertion from the exterior of the knob by an authorized person, the key having a projection adapted to engage and depress the pin from Within the knob and thereby uncouple the dial from the knob, whereupon the dial is adapted to be rotated or adjusted relative to the knob to effect a new combination or setting.

To prevent upsetting of the combination other than by an authorized change key, access to the tumbler or pin must be obtained from the interior of the knob and dial, the key being so constructed and designed that it can be inserted through the hollow knob and when a projection on the end of the key is aligned with a recess in the inner end of the knob, retraction of the key causes its projection to enter the notch of the dial containing the locking pin and depress and release this spring-biased pin from its coupling engagement with the dial whereby the latter is released for adjustment and rotation upon and relative to the knob. With the dial free to rotate relative to and the knob held against rotation, the key is then removed and rotation of the dial is continued in a counter-clockwise direction until the locking pin drops into the next notch which couples the knob and dial for the second combination. The number of changes depends upon the number of notches provided about the dial before again reaching the original combination.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efiiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a lock assembly embodying the novel combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly disassociated from the lock housing.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, but with the end of the changing key inserted for depressing the locking pin to uncouple the dial from the knob and altering the combination.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the disassembled changing dial.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the changing key.

Referring to the disclosure in the drawings and to the novel illustrative embodiment therein shown, the combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly for a combination or permutation lock adapted for individual lockers comprises a unit assembly A including an escutcheon back plate 10 carrying a threaded shoulder stud 11 projecting rearwardly from each of its opposite ends for attachment to the laterally projecting flanges 12 on the housing B of a permutation lock shown in FIG. .1. The threaded studs 11 are adapted to project rearwardly through aligned openings in the front panel of a locker door C for mounting the unit assembly A on the front of the door and the lock housing B on the rear or interior of the door.

The back plate 16 has a rectangular raised or stepped portion 13 and affixed to and closely conforming to the contour of this plate is an escutcheon 14 having a rectangular raised portion 15 conforming to and receiving the raised portion 13 of the back plate with offset or stepped ends 16 and a continuous rearwardly projecting peripheral flange or edge 17 enclosing the peripheral edges of the back plate 10. The opposite vertically disposed edges of the escutcheon 14 have inturned anchoring flanges 18 overlapping the rear of the back plate for securely anchoring and retaining the escutcheon 14 onto the back plate 10 and also overlapping the opposite sides of a circular retainer plate 19 in the form of a cupped washer.

At the outer or forward face of the assembly A is a cylindrical knob 21 having a stepped hub 22 encompassed by a circular dial 23 detachably aflixed to the hub whereby the knob and dial normally rotate together in either direction as a unit. Also staked or affixed to and rotatable with the hub 22 of the knob is the internal circumference 24 of the cupped retainer plate 19. The inner cylindrical or annular end 25 of the hub is circumferentially notched or slotted to provide spaced outwardly projecting tongues 26 conformably received in circumferentially spaced notches 27 provided in the inner circumference 24 of the cupped retainer plate 19 and bent over onto the latter for staking and retaining these components together.

The inner circumference 24 of the cupped retainer plate 19 is also provided with a small notch 28 in alignment with a dial tumbler in the form of a cylindrical or hollow pin 29 carried and movable in a conforming cylindrical groove 30 in the internal wall of the hub 22 of the knob 21, the pin 29 being spring-biased inwardly or rearwardly by means of a coil spring 31 in the groove 38 to detachably lock the dial 23 to the knob 21.

To detachably lock the dial 23 to the knob 21, the inner circumference or hub 32 of the dial 23, as shown in FIG. 6, has plural semicircular notches 33 suitably spaced apart for a similar number of combination changes. These notches 33 having similar radii are each adapted to be moved to a new position upon release of the dial 23 from the knob 21 and rotation of the dial relative to the knob, such release being effected when the pin 29 carried by the knob 21 is engaged and depressed by the insertion and engagement of the rearwardly projecting end or spur 34 of a suitable change key 35 inserted through the central opening 36 in the knob (see FIG. 5) with the rearwardly projecting end or spur 34- of the key 35 inserted into the notch 28 open to access to the pin 29. Upon a slight outward pull on the change key 35, the edge of the pin 29 is engaged by the spur 34 and retracted from the notch 33 of the dial 23 in which it had been seated in interlocking interengagement with the knob 21, whereupon the dial 23 is free to rotate to effect a new combination. With the key 35 then removed and the knob 21 held stationary, upon further rotation of the free dial 23 counter-clockwise, the locking pin will drop into the next or succeeding notch 33 of the dial 23 and change the combination.

Thus, the combination may be changed as often as there are notches 33 in the dial 23. If the dial has six notches for receiving the dial tumbler or pin 29 carried by the knob 21, the combination may be changed six times including its original setting after which it may be repeated.

In making the change, the dial which is shown numbered from 0 to 40, is set at its zero reading. Next, the change key 35 is inserted with its spur 34 received in the notch 28 and the key drawn outwardly to depress the spring-biased locking pin 29 against its coil spring 31. Holding the knob 21 fixed and rotating the dial 23 counter-clockwise sufficiently to remove the pin 29 from alignment with its previously aligned notch 33 in the dial, the change key 35 is removed. Then continuing to hold the knob 21 stationary, upon continuing rotation of the dial 23 in the counter-clockwise direction the locking pin 29 will automatically drop into the next notch 33 and a new combination becomes effective.

The pin 29 is formed as a hollow tube with the edge of its inner end tapered or inclined inwardly, and the notch 23 so located and of a size to conformably receive the spur 34 of the change key 35. This arrangement assures aligning and engaging the spur 34 with the adjacent or inner edge of the pin 29 for depressing and releasing the latter from its notch 33 in the dial 23 by an outward pull on the change key 35, and also makes it difficult for anyone without the proper change key 35 engaging the edge of the pin 29 by any other instrument and depressing and releasing the pin to maliciously or without authority change the combination.

The novel combination changing dial and knob subassembly is so constructed, arranged and assembled whereby even though such were forcibly removed as by being maliciously hammered out of its escutcheon, such removal will not affect the security of the permutation lock which maintains the door locked. Even though the knob were removed, the-re is nothing exposed which can be turned to actuate and open the lock. Yet under these conditions the registered master key would remain effective to open the lock.

Having thus disclosed the invention, we claim:

1. A combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly mounted on the exterior of a locker door along the free edge to operate a permutation lock mounted on the interior of the door, comprising a backing plate, a retainer plate and an escutcheon providing an outer enclosure for said plates, a hollow knob having a hub for turning in opposite directions for effecting the proper combination with a central longitudinal opening, a dial mounted at the exterior of the escutcheon and upon the hub of said knob, the hub of said knob having an internal longitudinally extending notch parallel to the longitudinal opening in the hub, a spring-biased locking pin carried in the notch, said dial having plural spaced notches in the inner circumference thereof and parallel to the notch in the hub of the knob, said pin being biased toward and into one of the plural notches in the dial when the dial is moved relative to the knob to align a notch in the dial with the notch and pin in the hub, and a change key adapted to enter the longitudinal opening in the knob and having a lateral and then rearward projection on the inner end thereof, said rearward projection being parallel to the key and adapted to extend over the inner end of the knob and engage the inner end of said pin to retract the locking pin against the force of the spring from the notch in the dial to uncouple the dial from the knob, upsetting the combination and permitting the dial to be rotated relative to the knob with the pin being urged into the next notch of the dial to effect a new predetermined combination for operating the lock.

2. A combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said locking pin is a hollow tube having its inner edge inclined inwardly, said inclined edge being engaged by the rearward projection of said key to retract the pin.

3. In a combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly adapted to be mounted on the exterior free edge of a locker door to operate a permutation lock mounted on the interior of the door, a hollow knob mounted at the exterior of the escutcheon and having a hub projecting through said escutcheon and a central longitudinal opening therethrough, a separate dial rotatably mounted on said hub at the exterior of the escutcheon, the hub having a portion cut away and a cylindrical groove formed adjacent and parallel to the central longitudinal opening of the knob, said groove communicating with the inner circumference of said dial, said dial having plural spaced grooves on the inner circumference adapted to be aligned with the cylindrical groove of the knob at the cut-away portion thereof, a pin in said cylindrical groove of the knob and spring-biased toward said dial to project in one of said plural notches, and a change key having a free end insertable from the front of the escutcheon into the central opening in the knob, the free end having a lateral and then rearward projection extending into the cut-away portion of the knob with the rearward projection extending into the cylindrical groove to engage the end of the pin and retract the pin from engagement with the groove in the dial upon rearward movement of the change key to allow relative movement between the knob and the dial so that the pin may be projected into a succeeding notch of the dial to lock the dial to the knob and effect a new combination for the lock.

4. In a combination changing dial, knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 3, in which a retainer plate is mounted in the escutcheon and has a central opening receiving the hub of the knob, said retainer plate having a notch in the inner circumference adapted to be aligned with said cylindrical groove in the knob to allow the lateral and rearward projection on the change key to enter the cylindrical groove and engage the pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,081,123 5/1937 Stone 70315 2,167,205 7/1939 Heyer 70-332 2,725,739 12/1955 Check 70135 X 3,023,602 3/1962 Foote et al 70-332 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner. 

3. IN A COMBINATION CHANGING DIAL, KNOB AND ESCUTCHEON ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE EXTERIOR FREE EDGE OF A LOCKER DOOR TO OPERATE A PERMUTATION LOCK MOUNTED ON THE INTERIOR OF THE DOOR, A HOLLOW KNOB MOUNTED AT THE EXTERIOR OF THE ESCUTCHEON AND HAVING A HUB PROJECTING THROUGH SAID ESCUTCHEON AND A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL OPENING THERETHROUGH, A SEPARATE DIAL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HUB AT THE EXTERIOR OF THE ESCUTCHEON, THE HUB HAVING A PORTION CUT AWAY AND A CYLINDIRCAL GROOVE FORMED ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO THE CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL OPENING OF THE KNOB, SAID GROOVE COMMUNICATING WITH THE INNER CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID DIAL, SAID DIAL HAVING PLURAL SPACED GROOVES ON THE INNER CIRCUMFERNCE ADAPTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE CYLINDRICAL GROOVE OF THE KNOB AT THE CUT-AWAY PORTION THEREOF, A PIN IN SAID CYLINDRICAL GROOVE OF THE KNOB AND SPRING-BIASED TOWARD SAID DIAL TO PROJECT IN ONE OF SAID PLURAL NOTCHES, AND A CHANGE KEY HAVING A FREE END INSERTABLE FROM THE FRONT OF THE ESCUTCHEON INTO THE CENTRAL OPENING IN THE KOB, THE FREE END HAVING A LATERAL AND THEN REARWARD PROJECTION EXTENDING INTO THE CUT-AWAY PORTION OF THE KNOB WITH THE REARWARD PROJECTION EXTENDING INTO THE CYLINDRICAL GROOVE TO ENGAGE THE END OF THE PIN AND RETRACT THE PIN FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GROOVE IN THE DIAL UPON REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CHANGE KEY TO ALLOW RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE KNOB AND THE DIAL SO THAT THE PIN MAY BE PROJECTED INTO A SUCCEEDING NOTCH OF THE DIAL TO LOCK THE DIAL TO THE KNOB AND EFFECT A NEW COMBINATION FOR THE LOCK. 